diff --git a/libavcodec/utils.c b/libavcodec/utils.c
index a46dda7e9c..0190e6652c 100644
--- a/libavcodec/utils.c
+++ b/libavcodec/utils.c
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ AVFrame *avcodec_alloc_frame(void){
 
 int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
 {
-    int ret= -1;
+    int ret = 0;
 
     /* If there is a user-supplied mutex locking routine, call it. */
     if (ff_lockmgr_cb) {
@@ -467,11 +467,14 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
     entangled_thread_counter++;
     if(entangled_thread_counter != 1){
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "insufficient thread locking around avcodec_open/close()\n");
+        ret = -1;
         goto end;
     }
 
-    if(avctx->codec || !codec)
+    if(avctx->codec || !codec) {
+        ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
         goto end;
+    }
 
     if (codec->priv_data_size > 0) {
       if(!avctx->priv_data){
@@ -521,6 +524,7 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
     if (avctx->codec_id != codec->id || (avctx->codec_type != codec->type
                            && avctx->codec_type != AVMEDIA_TYPE_ATTACHMENT)) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "codec type or id mismatches\n");
+        ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
         goto free_and_end;
     }
     avctx->frame_number = 0;
@@ -535,6 +539,7 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
     if (avctx->codec->max_lowres < avctx->lowres) {
         av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "The maximum value for lowres supported by the decoder is %d\n",
                avctx->codec->max_lowres);
+        ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
         goto free_and_end;
     }
     if (avctx->codec->sample_fmts && avctx->codec->encode) {
@@ -544,6 +549,7 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
                 break;
         if (avctx->codec->sample_fmts[i] == AV_SAMPLE_FMT_NONE) {
             av_log(avctx, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Specified sample_fmt is not supported.\n");
+            ret = AVERROR(EINVAL);
             goto free_and_end;
         }
     }
@@ -554,7 +560,6 @@ int attribute_align_arg avcodec_open(AVCodecContext *avctx, AVCodec *codec)
             goto free_and_end;
         }
     }
-    ret=0;
 end:
     entangled_thread_counter--;